Author: Tyler Conway

When Floyd Mayweather last stepped into a ring nearly two years ago to fight Andre Berto, he thought he was doing it for the last time.
This time, Mayweather says his impending retirement is for real.
“I gave my word to Al Haymon. I gave my word …

When Floyd Mayweather last stepped into a ring nearly two years ago to fight Andre Berto, he thought he was doing it for the last time.

This time, Mayweather says his impending retirement is for real.

“I gave my word to Al Haymon. I gave my word to my children. And one thing I don’t want to do is break that. … This will be my last fight,” Mayweather said Thursday at a media conference call for his Aug. 26 fight against ConorMcGregor.

Mayweather, who retired after earning a unanimous-decision win over Berto in September 2015, spent most of the conference call reflecting on a career that ranks among the greatest in boxing history. He would set an all-time record with 50 wins without a defeat should he beat McGregor, breaking a tie with Rocky Marciano.

“I don’t try to focus on other fighters, but I’m appreciative for every fighter that paved the way for me to be where I’m at,” Mayweather said. “Even though this is No. 50, this is my 50th fight, that’s not my focus. My focus is to give the fans an exciting fight. … Rocky Marciano is a legend. Rocky Marciano did it his way. I’d just like to it the Mayweather way.”

McGregor, the most famous face in mixed martial arts, is making his boxing debut after becoming the first fighter in UFC history to simultaneously hold two championships. Some have wondered whether McGregor, in the prime of his career, is taking too big of a risk switching sports altogether in a match that could lower his star power.

Mayweather said he believes his decision to put his undefeated record on the line is more of a risk.

“I believe I’m taking the bigger risk, I have the 49-0 record,” Mayweather said. “When a fighter has lost before, if he loses again, they say it’s nothing he lost before. But when a boxer has been dominating for twentysome years, never lost, everything is on the line. My legacy, my boxing record, everything is on the line.”

Mayweather also doubled down on his comments acknowledging that he may have lost a step at age 40.

“I’m just being honest, I don’t think I’m the same Floyd Mayweather I was 21 years ago, of course not. I don’t think I’m the same Floyd Mayweather that I was 10 years ago. I’m not even the same Floyd Mayweather I was five or two years ago. But I said I still have a high IQ in that ring, and I said experience wise it leans towards me,” he said.

The fight will take place using eight-ounce gloves, rather than the standard 10-ounce gloves, thanks to a waiver granted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. McGregor typically fights using four-ounce gloves in UFC while boxing typically requires 10-ounce gloves for any weight class above 147 pounds.

Mayweather said that was put in place to avoid excuses on either side, saying, “I’m not really worried about the outcome, I’m worried about excitement. I understand he’s used to fighting in four-ounce gloves…I want to make him feel as comfortable as possible. I’m not going to have any excuses, and I don’t want him to have any excuses.”

As for his post-boxing career, Mayweather said he will focus on real estate ventures, his children and his Mayweather Productions business. He said he wants to leave a legacy behind for his children to take over the businesses and expand them once they graduate from college.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his camp have heard all the speculation about his August 26 prizefight with Conor McGregor not living up to the box office or in-ring expectations.
Mayweather and promoter Leonard Ellerbe took to the media Thursday for an …

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his camp have heard all the speculation about his August 26 prizefight with Conor McGregor not living up to the box office or in-ring expectations.

Mayweather and promoter Leonard Ellerbe took to the media Thursday for an open workout and meeting with reporters in an attempt to sell the bout.

“We are going to blow past our own record of $72 million dollars. What are we talking about? This fight is massive,” Ellerbe told reporters.

Ellerbe also took particular exception to the narrative being created by Oscar De La Hoya and his promotional team, which has taken aim at the Mayweather-McGregor match in recent weeks. De La Hoya called it “disrespectful” to have the bout so close in proximity to the Gennady Golovkin vs. Canelo Alvarez bout September 16.

“It was disrespectful,” De La Hoya said on SportsCenter in June (via MMA Fighting). “I would have thought that Dana White would have a little more respect with this boxing event taking place, because look, you just don’t do that. I mean, it’s like having the Super Bowl and then three weeks later the World Series takes place, the final game. It just doesn’t happen.”

Ellerbe referred to De La Hoya as “that other idiot” and claimed their promotional team was lying about the Canelo fight’s being sold out.

“Jealousy is a terrible thing. Move on,” Ellerbe said. “Why are so worried about Floyd Mayweather?”

Mayweather said he believes his bout with McGregor will sell out even though it hasn’t reached the mark with two weeks remaining.

He also took time out in the presser to apologize for using a gay slur to insult McGregor during their press stop in London. He refused to comment on McGregor’s wearing a C.J. Watson jersey, a barb that not-so-subtly referenced Mayweather’s ex-girlfriend.

Chris van Heerden, the former sparring partner of Conor McGregor, said he would be willing to return and spar with the UFC star ahead of his bout against Floyd Mayweather this month—for a price.
Van Heerden spoke with TMZ Sports on Friday a…

Chris van Heerden, the former sparring partner of Conor McGregor, said he would be willing to return and spar with the UFC star ahead of his bout against Floyd Mayweather this month—for a price.

Van Heerden spoke with TMZ Sports on Friday and said he sympathized with former McGregor sparring partner Paulie Malignaggi but would return for a sparring match if paid.

“If he pays me, I’ll go beat him up. The first time I helped him out of a good heart…I didn’t ask him for anything. [I sparred] for free. And then they done me bad. If they want me back, they better pay me.”

Van Heerden split with McGregor’s camp last year after he leaked full video of a sparring session that had previously been made to look McGregor look favorable.

Malignaggi, who had been sparring with McGregor ahead of his prizefight with Mayweather, quit Thursday amid a similar disagreement with the fighter’s camp. A still depicting McGregor knocking down Malignaggi leaked earlier this week, which incensed the now-retired boxer.

“I wanted to be part of this event, but I didn’t want to become the story, and that’s what this has turned into,” Malignaggi told ESPN’sBrett Okamoto. “I won’t release any information about his game plan or what he’s working on; I wouldn’t do that. But this has become a fiasco. It’s a circus.

“And I do want that sparring video released. The UFC’s PI definitely has that video. I understand it can’t come out now, but Conor, if you have any balls, release what really happened.”

Malignaggi the supposed knockdown was actually a pushdown but said he and McGregor have a “mutual respect” inside the ring.

“There was a pushdown yesterday,” Malignaggi said of the sparring session. “Conor on the inside, he can get a little rough. He shoved me down, you know, but no knockdowns. Obviously, 12 rounds, you’re gonna see there’s a mark on my face. Very, very hard work for both of us. I was starting to get in a groove in the middle rounds, starting to land some good shots. Conor really came on strong in the end. It was back and forth.”

Brock Lesnar’s return to mixed martial arts may be becoming a reality after all.
Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reported Lesnar has re-entered the USADA testing pool for MMA after exiting when he formally announced his retirement from the sport…

Brock Lesnar‘s return to mixed martial arts may be becoming a reality after all.

Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reported Lesnar has re-entered the USADA testing pool for MMA after exiting when he formally announced his retirement from the sport in February.

Lesnar will have five months remaining on the one-year suspension he was handed for twice testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs around his UFC 200 fight with Mark Hunt. He informed UFC of his retirement—and, thus, was taken out of the USADA testing pool—in February.

“Pursuant to the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, all UFC athletes serving a period of ineligibility for an anti-doping policy violation are required to remain in the USADA registered testing pool and make themselves available for testing in order to receive credit for time served under his or her sanction,” a USADApress release said.

“Furthermore, if an athlete retires during his or her period of ineligibility, the athlete’s sanction will be tolled until such time the athlete notifies USADA of his or her return from retirement and once again makes him or herself available for no-advance-notice, out-of-competition testing.”

Satin’s report indicates Lesnar has no plans at this time of re-signing with WWE once his contract expires shortly after WrestleMania 34. The two sides held tense negotiations when Lesnar first flirted with returning to MMA when his WWE contract expired in 2015. He ultimately wound up re-signing with the wrestling promotion for three more years.

WWE accommodated Lesnar’s return to UFC last year in a cross-promotional event, but it’s unlikely the company would want him doing potentially dangerous combat sports when he’s under contract. If Lesnar’s serious about a return to UFC sometime in 2018, odds are these rumors are true.

Given his status as Universal champion, it’s probably time to start the clock ticking on him dropping the belt.

Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, said tickets will range from $500 to $10,000 for Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s return to the boxing ring against Conor McGregor.
Greg Beachem of the Associated Press reported the news from Tuesday’s Mayweathe…

Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, said tickets will range from $500 to $10,000 for Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s return to the boxing ring against Conor McGregor.

Greg Beachem of the Associated Press reported the news from Tuesday’s Mayweather-McGregor press conference. The two will fight Aug. 26 in Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

Mayweather, 40, will be making his return to the ring after nearly a two-year retirement. He last defeated Andre Berto via a unanimous-decision victory in September 2015. Heavily favored against the boxing-inexperienced McGregor, Mayweather would move to 50-0 with a victory.

“I’m the A-side,” Mayweather said Tuesday at the presser. “That’s why this b—h had to come to the boxing ring.”

“He looks good for a seven-figure fighter; he looks good for an eight-figure fighter, but motherf–ker, I’m a nine-figure fighter,” Mayweather added.

Mayweather made a record $220 million for his May 2015 win over Manny Pacquiao, including $100 million guaranteed. The “Money Team” leader brought out another $100 million check during the press conference, which McGregor said was for his “tax man.” Mayweather owes $22.2 million in taxes from 2015, per ESPN.com.

Forbes estimates McGregor’s net worth as $34 million, a number that may wind up double.

Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor finally threw punches ahead of their Aug. 26 megafight in Las Vegas.
Well, at least verbal ones.
Mayweather and McGregor put on a show Tuesday in Los Angeles at their press conference to discuss the former’s return t…

Mayweather and McGregor put on a show Tuesday in Los Angeles at their press conference to discuss the former’s return to a boxing ring and the latter’s debut. For his part, McGregor seems fully confident he can end Mayweather’s undefeated boxing run.

“He’s f–ked,” McGregor said during the live broadcast, which was streamed live on YouTube and a number of other platforms.

McGregor, 28, is the reigning UFC lightweight champion and is the only mixed martial artist in history to hold two UFC championships concurrently. While this is a boxing match, McGregor made it clear he sees his discipline as more difficult than Mayweather’s.

“I don’t fear him, I don’t fear his limited set,” McGregor said. “This isn’t a true fight. If this was a true fight, it wouldn’t take one round.”

McGregor also guaranteed he would knock Mayweather out within four rounds and seemingly poked fun at his opponent’s recent tax troubles.

“He’s in a f–king track suit, he can’t even afford a suit anymore,” McGregor said.

Mayweather, 40, will be fighting for the first time since defeating Andre Berto by unanimous decision in September 2015. He’ll be looking to go 50-0 as a boxer and made it abundantly clear to McGregor that he’s the star of the show.

“I’m the A-side,” Mayweather said. “That’s why this b—h had to come to the boxing ring.”

“He looks good for a seven-figure fighter; he looks good for an eight-figure fighter, but motherf–ker, I’m a nine-figure fighter,” Mayweather added.

The highest-grossing boxer in history then brought out a nine-figure check, presumably from his bout against Manny Pacquiao. That led to perhaps the best barb of the presser, with McGregor telling Mayweather it was “for the tax man.”

The crowd, which was an estimated 20,000 people deep, was decidedly pro-McGregor throughout the short press conference. The fight itself will likely be an uphill battle for the MMA pound-for-pound king, as he enters as a significant underdog.

In terms of building anticipation for the fight, this event more than hit the mark. We’ll have to see whether they can actually deliver in the ring.